Some conventional lighting fixtures are limited to indoor use, while others may be used outdoors or even underwater.
Lighting fixtures including at least one chip-on-board light emitting diode (“COB LED”) are becoming more widely used. COB LED technology allows the LED modules to be clusters on circuit boards or substrates. In some configurations, the LED may be bonded directly to a substrate (e.g., a metal substrate). Compared to traditional lighting, COB LED modules are extremely bright for the small space they occupy. COB LEDs, in some cases, outperform traditional lighting by up to 50 times the light output per square centimeter of light surface. COB technology provides significant advantages over traditional surface mount technology (SMT). COB LEDs generally provide better temperature management, smaller LED modules, greater lumen output, and lower production costs.
COB LEDs typically provide reliable light emission from a relatively small physical device. However, COB LEDs also generate substantial heat when in operation, and unless such heat is adequately dissipated, this heat energy may, in some situations, cause the LED, or materials nearby, to be damaged or destroyed.